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Windows Task Manager is a task manager application included with Microsoft Windows NT family of operating systems that provides detailed information about computer performance and running applications, processes and CPU usage, commit charge and memory information, network activity and statistics, logged-in users, and system services. The Task Manager can also be used to set process priorities, processor affinity, forcibly terminate processes, and shut down, restart, hibernate or log off from Windows. Windows Task Manager was introduced with Windows NT 4.0, previous versions of Windows NT included the Task List application, which had far less features. The task list was capable of listing currently running processes and killing them, or creating a new process.
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Launching Task Manager
The Task Manager can be launched using any of the following four methods:
- Using the context menu on the taskbar and selecting "Task Manager".
- Using the key combination Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
- In Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows Vista, use the key combination Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the Windows Security dialog, then click on "Task Manager". In Windows XP, pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del or Ctrl+Shift+Esc directly launches Task Manager, unless you have disabled the Welcome Screen.
- Starting "Taskmgr.exe" from a command line, GUI or a shortcut.
Tiny Footprint mode
Double-clicking certain areas in the Task Manager brings up an interface with excess information stripped away. This interface can also be resized. Double clicking again will return to the normal interface. This is called the Tiny Footprint mode. [1]
Windows Vista changes
Windows Task Manager has been updated in Windows Vista with new features, including:
- A "Services" tab to view and/or modify currently running services and start and stop any service as well as enable/disable the UAC file and registry virtualization of a process.
- It is possible to add other columns such as a "Description" column to see the full name and path of a process and its DEP and virtualization status.
- By right-clicking on any process, it is possible to directly open the Properties of the process executable or the directory (folder) containing the process.
- The Task Manager has also been made less vulnerable to attack from remote sources or viruses as it must be operating under administrative rights to carry out certain tasks, such as logging off other connected users or sending messages. The user must go into the "Processes" tab and click "Show processes from other users" in order to verify administrative rights and unlock these privileges. Showing processes from all users requires all users including administrators to accept a UAC prompt, unless UAC is disabled. If the user is not an administrator, they must enter a password for an admininistrator account when prompted to proceed.
- By right-clicking on any running process, it is possible to create a dump. This feature can be useful if an application or a process is not responding, so that the dump file can be opened in a debugger to get more information.
Security issues
Task Manager is a common target of computer viruses and other forms of malware; typically malware will close the Task Manager as soon as it is started, so as to hide itself from users. Variants of the Zotob and Spybot worms have used this technique, for example.[2] Using Group Policy, it is possible to disable the Task Manager. Many types of malware also enable this policy setting in the registry. Rootkits can prevent themselves from getting listed in the Task Manager, thereby preventing their detection and termination using it.
Tasks under Windows 9x
A Close Program dialog box comes up when Ctrl+Alt+Del is pressed in Windows 9x. Also, in Windows 9x, there is a program called Tasks (TASKMAN.EXE) located in the Windows directory. TASKMAN.EXE is rudimentary and has fewer features. The System Monitor utility in Windows 9x contains process and network monitoring functionality similar to that of the Windows Task Manager. (Also, Tasks program is called by clicking twice on desktop if Explorer process is down.)
See also
References
External links
- Using Windows Task Manager — Windows XP product documentation
